Hively vs Podium
Podium is a texting platform. Hively is a full AI employee.
Podium built a great SMS + reviews tool for local businesses, and its AI Employee is an add-on on top. Hively answers the phone 24/7, books appointments, writes your website, follows up with leads, and sounds human doing it — set up by our team, no missed after-hours calls.
How they stack up
AI receptionist (answers phones)
Podium sells AI Employee as an add-on to any plan.
AI receptionist (answers phones)
Podium sells AI Employee as an add-on to any plan.
Hively
Podium
24/7 AI that books appointments
24/7 AI that books appointments
Hively
Podium
Two-way text marketing
Two-way text marketing
Hively
Podium
Automated review requests
Automated review requests
Hively
Podium
AI-generated website content + local SEO
AI-generated website content + local SEO
Hively
Podium
AI trained on your services, pricing, and tone
Podium's AI Employee add-on also learns the business it works for.
AI trained on your services, pricing, and tone
Podium's AI Employee add-on also learns the business it works for.
Hively
Podium
Done-for-you setup
Done-for-you setup
Hively
Podium
Calls and texts in one monthly scope
Calls and texts in one monthly scope
Hively
Podium
Pricing at a glance
Hively has no preset plans. You get one monthly price for a clearly defined scope.
Hively
Custom quote
One monthly scope, no per-seat fees
- Free consultation and audit first
- Done-for-you setup by our team
- Custom AI trained on your business
- Month-to-month, 30 days' notice to cancel
Podium
Not published
Podium quotes plans through its sales team. From Podium's pricing page, checked October 2026.
- Check Podium's own site for current plans. Contract terms, onboarding fees, and per-user multipliers may apply.
Why local businesses switch to Hively
Calls, texts, website and content from one team, instead of a plan plus add-ons.
Hively is deployed by our team — Podium is self-serve, so you manage it.
Custom AI voice trained on your vocabulary and booking rules.
No per-user seat fees — one monthly price for a clearly defined scope.
Our team handles setup, so there's no software for you to configure.
Keeps writing blog posts, social, and follow-up email — not just texts.
Start with a free demo
Book a free 15-minute demo. We'll show you how Hively would handle your calls and bookings — you decide if it beats Podium for your team.